The present invention relates to an apparatus for aligning a pouring nozzle in a continuous casting installation which can automatically, easily and quickly align the nozzle.
Generally in a continuous casting installation with an endless-track type moving-block-mold continuous casting machine, a pouring nozzle secured to a tundish-mounting carriage is inserted, in operation, into a mold cavity of the casting machine. To this end, position adjustment means such as screw jacks joined to the tundish on the carriage are manually operated to adjust the position of the tundish, thereby aligning the pouring nozzle. Thereafter the carriage is advanced to insert the nozzle into the mold cavity.
In the installation, the gaps between the nozzle and the opposing block molds are to be very narrow in the order of 0.1-0.2 mm for prevention of the leakage of melt, so that the alignment of the nozzle must be accomplished accurately. Such accurate alignment operation takes a long period of time. When the accurate alignment is not made, the pouring nozzle may strike against the block mold, resulting in breakdown thereof upon insertion of the pouring nozzles into the mold cavity.
In view of the above, a primary object of the present invention is to accomplish the alignment of a nozzle automatically, easily and quickly in a continuous casting installation equipped with endless track type moving block molds.
The present invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.